It was hard to tell that the Boston Bruins had just notched the NHL record for most wins in a single season Sunday night given the reaction of coach Jim Montgomery.
Following Boston’s 5-3 triumph over the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center, Montgomery walked off the bench and into the tunnel like it was any regular season game.
Any excitement or jubilation pumping through Montgomery’s veins at that moment he hid extremely well. It was also tough for the bench boss to exhale given the sheer weight of expectations this record will put on the Bruins in the postseason.
But Montgomery did let his feelings about the record-setting win be known, and he sure was appreciative of getting to this point.
“No relief,” Montgomery told reporters, per team-provided video. “It’s just more, I guess for me, gratitude. Just like a peaceful feeling because everything’s felt right. We expect good things to happen because we believe we play the right way. And I think we have the leaders that always talk about those things. That it really mattered to team success.”
It has been a tremendous first season for Montgomery at the helm of the Bruins, one that was difficult to envision back at the start of July when his hiring was made official. But since then, he has pushed all the right buttons while the Bruins have compiled a litany of records. Montgomery has set records, too, like when he broke the mark for most wins by a first-year coach earlier this month.
But there’s a growing sense that the relief and the complete celebration for Montgomery will come only if the Bruins hoist the most coveted trophy the NHL has to offer in a couple of months.
